Overview
- Polling is underway across 122 constituencies for 1,302 candidates, with 3.70 crore voters casting ballots at 45,399 stations, and counting scheduled for Friday.
- Turnout reached 14.55% by 9 am, with brisk early voting reported in districts such as Gaya, Kishanganj and Jamui.
- Officials report around 4 lakh security personnel on duty and 1,625 CAPF companies deployed, key border checkpoints sealed, and webcasting arranged at every booth.
- A dozen sitting ministers and other heavyweights are in the fray, including Bijendra Prasad Yadav, Renu Devi, Prem Kumar, Nitish Mishra and former deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad.
- Phase 1 delivered a record turnout near 65% with women outnumbering men in many districts, while RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav has questioned EC conduct and security deployments, claims the NDA rejects.